Politically charged, but with a mellow rocker sound and look, Dublin-based band U2 drew a crowd to the Miami Vice last night. Their return to Ireland to play in their hometown was poignant for the group, who came together in the mid 1970s as a group of high school boys eager to make music. These days, they are doing just that.

They came onstage to a packed house and to the cheers of thousands of fans who crammed themselves in to see this now world famous band. And the second that lead singer Bono stepped up to the microphone, the large white flag that has become his peace symbol in hand, they went wild for the once local boys. And as Dave Evans strummed a few chords on his guitar, the crowd began to settle a bit, some swaying and some singing along to the political, very emotional “Sunday, Bloody Sunday.”

Having completed both a tour titled “The War Tour” and one for the Live Aid concert, the band has established themselves as philanthropic, political, and very involved in world events. The crowd certainly saw this both in Bono’s charismatic performance of “Pride (In the Name of Love)” and in the band’s encouragement of the people of the city to become more aware of the world around them.

Something interesting about their performance was the very stark difference between song from their “War” and “The Unforgettable Fire” albums, and those from albums “The Joshua Tree” and “Rattle and Hum”. While the former two albums have a sound very similar to the rock band The Who, the latter two seem to delve more into American country and gospel music. “The Joshua Tree” includes such songs as “With or Without You” and “Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”.

Such a diverse and long lasting sound is difficult to find in many bands these days, and U2 certainly has it all. It was a treat to hear Irish rockers back in Dublin, and we here at Miami Vice look forward to hearing them play again.

His hips roll and his knees shake. He croons and screams into his microphone on stage, and a hundred million teenage girls scream right back at him. This man inspires fainting fits and has been accused of everything under the sun by furious parents and preachers. Elvis Presley had everyone at The Miami Vice “All Shook Up”, if you’ll pardon the pun. There has been nothing like this in the history of music, and I doubt that anyone will rival this King of Rock and Roll.

Last night, when The King kicked off his first European tour at the Miami Vice, the club was packed in little more than five minute after the doors opened. Playing to an audience primarily of teens, Elvis kicked off the show with the “rockabilly” hit “Hound Dog”. As he wailed, the audience went crazy.

Presley, born and raised in Tulepo, Mississippi, grew up as a quiet mama’s boy, frequently picked on by his peers. He has certainly come a long way from that! Still, this king of rock cites his mother as one of the most influential people in his life. He also gives credit to the Assembly of God Church in Tulepo, for the gospel music that got him hooked.  However, you can also hear the influence of the classical and country music that he was listening to as he grew. He told fans, “I just loved music. Music period.” As any great artist should.

The way we here at the Miami Vice see it, Presley is on his way up in the world. His combination of unique vocals, mixed musical genres and straight sex appeal makes him absolutely irresistible (except maybe to those concerned parents)!

One thing that was interesting to me about Cohn was the sheer amount of music that he covers. Where Miller only writes about a few artists, following the birth and (supposed) death of rock and roll, Cohn covers rock, pop, and even some soul music. He’s very talented at using the songs he discusses to illustrate a point. Miller, on the other hand, makes many, many points about each artist and song. I like that Cohn is young and writing, just after the peak of this huge musical frenzy, rather than waiting for a decade or two to publish his book.

One thing that I disliked about Cohn’s book is his seemingly interchangeable use of the terms “rock” and “pop”. To me, these are two entirely different concepts, not to be confused at all. Rock, in my mind, is hard and edgy and shakes you right down to your core. It means something. It isn’t always fun. Pop, on the other hand, is lighter, peppier, and while it doesn’t always have to be meaningless and silly, it certainly doesn’t have that charge that rock does. So how does he use them as the same idea? I have a lot of trouble reconciling that.

The electric guitar in “Please Please Me”  pulls from Elvis and from Ray Charles, while the simple, repetitive lyrics are reminiscent of The Crystals.

I was really impressed with how much listening the Beatles must have done before they started recording any music. They pulled from so many different genres and artists that it is almost hard to believe. From blues to pop to rock, the Beatles used everything that they could hear, and clearly made an impact with it.

Mackenzie: Doing the hokie pokie in daycare when I was about 3.

Meg: Did you have a favorite song when you were growing up?

Mac: Just about any of the WeeSing songs.

Meg: Why

Mac: I think I liked them because they kept playing the songs at daycare. I can probably still sing some of the songs.

Meg: So what kind of role does music play in your parents’ lives?

Mac: Music  plays a large part in my mom’s life. She used to write for a paper called The Music Paper, where she would meet bands backstage. She actually told me she met Van Halen and one of them almost kicked her in the head! It’s fun to go downstairs and look at all her old ticket stubs and backstage passes. My dad was also involved in music, simply because he was in his marching. He used to play the trumpet. They are both still adamant about me listening to the great bands of their time!

Meg: What was the first song or album that you purchased with your own money?

Mac: The first CD I ever bought was Backstreet Boys’ Millennium. I was so happy that I bought something.

Meg: Ok, so what was the first concert you ever went to?

Mac: My first concert was the Backstreet Boys’ Black and Blue World Tour. I went with my friend for our 12th  birthday. It was full of prepubescent girls screaming for the Backstreet Boys.

Meg: Who are some of your favorite bands and solo artists now?

Mac: I like Holiday Parade, New Atlantic, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Boys Like Girls, Michael Buble, Panic! At the Disco, Liam & Me, Twisted Sister, and Van Halen right now. I really like them all for different reasons. I tend to lean towards the alternative genre, so I guess that’s why. They remind me of the GLAM bands of the 1980s.

Meg: Do you play any musical instruments?

Mac: I used to play the flute, and I still do every once in a while. I like to think that I can sing, but it depends on my mood and who I’m with.

Meg: Have you ever been in a band?

Mac: In elementary school, yes. In high school I did colorguard with the marching band. With an indie band, though, no, never.

Meg: So how does it feel to take a college course in rock, soul, and  progressive music?

Mac: It’s pretty interesting. My parents’ reaction was mostly wondering why they had to pay for a class they could easily teach me.

Meg: What do you hope to learn as a result?

Mac: I want to learn more about the music that  we go over.

Most everything I know about music either comes from my dad or from musical theatre. I have a pretty wide range in taste, I guess, because there’s a little bit of everything in my iTunes library, from showtunes to country (ok, there is a lot of country…) to my indie/emo bands (DBC and Death Cab,CD anyone?). I’ve also got a fair amount of hip hop on there.

A ton of my music comes from movie soundtracks. I love how many different songs and artists you get on one CD. And really, even the silliest, sappiest movies I’ve ever seen have seriously amazing soundtracks. And all the fantastic Irish music on the P.S. I Love You soundtrack? Genius. There’s everything from Gerard Butler singing to Flogging Molly. Does it get much better? And say what you like about the show, but Grey’s Anatomy has one of the best, most diverse soundtracks out there.

So I guess that’s about it for tonight, but I’ll be sure to check back in later!